ISHS Acta Horticulturae 109: III International Symposium on Flower Bulbs
POSSIBILITIES OF BULB GROWING IN NETS |
| Author: | U.D. Perdok |
| Abstract:
In the Netherlands bulbs are grown traditionally along the North sea coast on light (sandy) soils. Nowadays growers are interested in heavier soils more and more where they are confronted with clod separation problems during harvest. On medium textured soils good results have been gained, practising a row crop system with a ridge space of 0.75 m; the seed bulbs are planted in 0.25 m wide bands. On heavy (clay) soils no ridges can be formed clodless anymore under wet autumn conditions. So attention has been paid to a complete new cropping system by means of nets, with a network of 3 x 10 mm. An adapted planter puts the bulbs in between an upper and lower net (0.4 m wide) in the middle of the ridge on a depth of 0.15 m. These nets do not affect the yield, but the advantages become clear during mechanical harvest: then upper and lower net are easily winded individually on a reel. Before that rotational brushes have cleaned the nets and an auger has removed the top-soil. The lower net with nothing but bulbs is picked up by a powered roller and is lifted by means of a chute. Next the bulbs are delivered into a tray. The investment per acre is reduced by repeated use of the nets. Closing research work will emphasize on the capacity of the machinery in practice. | |
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